Longtime assistant Heffernan takes over Illini wrestling program

Tuesday

Apr 28, 2009 at 12:01 AMApr 28, 2009 at 2:31 PM

Jim Heffernan often wondered if he would ever get the call. A career assistant after winning an NCAA title as an Iowa 150-pounder in 1986, Heffernan was named as the Illinois wrestling coach Tuesday. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Mark Johnson.

John Supinie

Jim Heffernan often wondered if he would ever get the call.

A career assistant after winning an NCAA title as an Iowa 150-pounder in 1986, Heffernan was named as the Illinois wrestling coach Tuesday. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Mark Johnson.

Heffernan, 45, worked under Johnson for the past 19 years, including all of Johnson's 17 years as Illinois coach.

"It's always a goal when you're coaching that you want to become a leader of a program,'' he said. "You get started and get caught up in your own success. Then you wake up and say, 'How did I end up being at Illinois for 17 years?' It wasn't about being in a hurry to go somewhere. I wanted to make sure the situation was right.''

Twice named the nation's top assistant by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, Heffernan began his coaching career as an assistant for two years at Lehigh after winning four Big Ten titles and earning All-America status four times. Before coaching at Illinois, Heffernan worked for two years as Johnson's assistant at Oregon State.

While working under Johnson, Heffernan helped Illinois win one Big Ten team title and seven NCAA individual championships. Heffernan and assistant Carl Perry, who was also retained, ran the day-to-day practice workouts, something that junior 133-pounder Jimmy Kennedy didn't think would change with Johnson gone.

"He's not going to be an exact replica,'' said Kennedy, who finished fifth in the nation. "He's always got a lot of things he's working on. He was always the guy running practice, showing us technique and putting us through hard drills.''

Illinois returns a strong unit from the team that finished second in the Big Ten and eighth in the nation. Six of the nine Illini who advanced to the NCAA meet are back.

Now, it’s up to Heffernan to keep building off that success.

"I'd like to think over the last 17 years that we did a lot of good things,'' Heffernan said. "I think the goals are high. We need to be competitive at the Big Ten and national level. With what's happened in the last couple years in Big Ten wrestling, it's getting more competitive everyday.''

Heffernan hopes to retain Jeremy Hunter as an assistant. Senior Mike Poeta, an NCAA runner-up the past two seasons, may also stay with the program while training for the Olympics and the world championships.

John Supinie can be reached at Johnsupinie@aol.com.

The Heffernan file

Jim Heffernan

Hometown: Cleveland

On the mat: Won two Ohio state prep championships, four Big Ten titles and one NCAA crown.

Quote: "It's going to be his program. Whatever he did in the past, to make it good, he's going to be the guy who will decide how good it can be.'' -- former Iowa coach Dan Gable.

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